my mate (not a cyclist, zero off-road experience) managed fine on a Decathlon Triban with pretty much slick 38c tyres. There's a couple of sections to take care on but for the most part it's as fredtc said, not that rocky. I'm just a wuss and need to HTFU if I'm being honest.
100%. I would much rather have had something with a bit of travel as opposed to a rigid 26er, you'll have a blast on that.